It’s not often you see an underclassman lead one of the strongest defensive units in the nation in interceptions. It’s especially not often that you see an underclassman as a leader of men on the gridiron. Notre Dame redshirt freshman safety Tae Johnson is exactly that kind of anomaly. As the young playmaker has progressively gotten better this season, so have the Irish. The result? The Irish are ranked top-10 in the land, and the defense, which was scrutinized earlier in the season, is now a bright spot.
It’s fair to say Johnson’s defining moment came on Saturday against No. 22 Pittsburgh. With the Irish up 7-0 after junior running back Jeremiyah Love exploded for a Heisman-worthy run halfway through the first quarter, head coach Marcus Freeman turned to the defense to play complementary football. Johnson took the challenge personally, intercepting Pitt’s freshman quarterback Mason Heintschel on the first play of the possession before walking it 49 yards to the house.
It took Notre Dame less than 30 seconds to flip the game on its head, and Johnson was at the center of it all. His well-timed read on Heintschel’s throw across the hashes was executed to perfection. For Freeman, the play is the culmination of everything Johnson has been working towards throughout his time with the Irish.
“It’s because of the work, because he knows he’s gifted, but he’s put in a lot of work,” Freeman said in his postgame press conference. He continued, “He’s making plays for us. He’s an extremely talented football player that’s just getting better. The talent is one thing, but the work that he’s putting in and the improvement that he makes, it’s very pleasing.”
Johnson agreed with Freeman’s statements. While the pick-six itself took place in front of a sold-out crowd at Acrisure Stadium, he understands the fact he was able to come away with the ball is because of something not many see.
“I was prepared for it. I knew it was coming. That led to me being able to play fast and ultimately getting a pick-six for my team,” Johnson said.
In Pittsburgh, Johnson carved out a career day for himself. The former four-star recruit tallied five tackles, three run stops and his only catch allowed to set the Panthers back four yards. He now leads the Irish defense with four interceptions, with his pick-six against Pitt being complemented by one against Boise State and a pair versus Boston College.
Playing the most confident ball of his life at the right time, Johnson is a true ball-hawking safety with a good eye for the game. He’s also becoming a leader on the team despite being one of the youngest guys getting significant minutes on the defensive side of the ball.
“The goal for us as safeties is to run the defense, make sure the back seven is in line and make sure we are all aware of what’s going on. So we just want to keep focusing on being us. We’re not worried about anything else other than that,” Johnson said.
It’s clear his ability to command respect is strong. Against Pitt, the Notre Dame defense put on a master class. With Johnson directing traffic in the backfield, Heintschel had practically zero open targets to throw to. Subsequently, the young Panthers quarterback was caught holding on to the ball for too long, allowing for the Irish’s front seven to pressure him consistently.
But even with the exemplary performance now on his resume, Johnson is staying grounded and already has his eyes set on the next goal at hand.
“It felt great to be honest,” Johnson said in regard to scoring his first pick-six. “It’s stuff I worked on. I thank God for allowing me to be able to do that. It feels good to have my first one, but I want more. I’m not going to be too big on that one, but I thank God for that.”
The magnitude of what he’s accomplished is not lost on him, either. Johnson hails from nearby Fort Wayne, Indiana. In high school, scouts’ main concern with Johnson pertained to his size. However, through the work that he’s put in, as Freeman mentioned, Johnson has shown that football is about more than just size. It’s about a maniacal attention to detail.
“Even before I got to Notre Dame, I was always a gifted player. I was never that big. Once I found out that I will always be gifted, it’s an ability God gave me, I figured out that I will have to put in the work and figure out where I was lacking at outside of the ability and outside of being gifted,” Johnson said.
For a kid who was always seen as undersized growing up, Johnson’s rapid rise to becoming a leader on Notre Dame’s defense is a special one. His next course of action is now simple. He plans on continuing to put in the work that has gotten him this far as the Irish continue their quest for the National Championship. If Notre Dame is to win its first big one since 1988, there is no doubt Johnson will play a crucial role.
